This but as a desktop

April 24, 2024 1:48 AM

Just like this question on laptops, my MacBook died recently and I am wide open to new choices. I don’t need a laptop though and actually want a box I can put somewhere on a shelf to use as a home server for media and various messing around, no serious gaming or high end use. Ten years ago, I’d have got a Mac mini - what are my options now?
posted by dorothyisunderwood to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

The Mac mini. I have an M1 version. I use it in the same manner as you describe. It is perfect and reliable. I even do light cad work for 3-D printing on it.
posted by po822000 at 3:37 AM on April 24 [6 favorites]

Best answer: I was in a similar situation last year except I was sick of apple's long slow creep toward the exact kind of crappiness and bloat on Windows I'd been avoiding. So I went looking for Mac Mini alternatives and based on some suggestions here, got a System 76 Meerkat.

I've been very happy with it. Linux is really a lot nicer now than it was 20 years ago, their custom Pop OS is nice. It's designed to be nice for power users as well as Linux newbies, so it's an easy point of entry. Stuff "just works" like apple used to claim. There's even a nice little 'shop' app you can use to easily install free software. It's not for everyone but if open hardware and software are of interest, check it out!
posted by SaltySalticid at 4:37 AM on April 24 [2 favorites]

How much storage for media do you want/need?

Faced with a similar set of needs but knowing that I'm uh kind of a media hoarder I built an machine in a Very Large case so I can comfortably get up to 12-16 drives if needs must and running unraid (which is not free).

--IF-- you think you might want more media storage than would comfortably fit on a mac mini and don't mind either building or having someone build you a box, I might think hard about an unraid box. Managing the media server side of it is dead simple and you can do a lot of messing around with docker containers for a vast number of purposes or spinning up windows / macos / linux as a full VM or in a docker container. You can configure it otherwise but default the machine runs headless and everything including dockers/VMs goes through a web interface.

A Jonsbo N2 or N3 should fit on a shelf, as should a Fractal Node 304 or maybe even Node 804. After that, just a recent-generation i5 in a motherboard that will fit the case, and some ram and drives. You'd need a monitor-or-tv / mouse / keyboard to set up but not after that.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 5:01 AM on April 24 [2 favorites]

Depending on your needs, a NAS appliance might be worth looking at it. The Synology NAS I bought originally for storing media and backups also hosts a few other one-off things as either installed apps (like Plex) or in containers (Home Assistant, etc).
posted by jquinby at 8:37 AM on April 24

Best answer: I've been running one of the little Intel NUCs for the past few years. I can't remember which one it is, but it's very small and I have it and a 4K monitor mounted to my wall - which leaves lots of desk space for when I bring my work laptop to WFH. I think you can get some different specs for it - mine is not super high powered and the most taxing stuff I use it for is Discord voice chat and some video conferencing (and even then the limiting factor there is the internet, not the computer). I don't have a complaints about it, and the only reason I've been thinking of upgrading lately is because my husband wants to play Baldur's Gate 3 with me and my NUC for sure won't run that.
posted by eekernohan at 9:41 AM on April 24 [1 favorite]

Best answer: With zero links to back me up here, I think Intel has discontinued the NUC form factor. Just something to look into if considering that.

I have been swearing by Shuttle small form factor (SFF) PCs for many, many years now. I have had several of their "Cube" series boxes which include space for hard drives and even an optical drive. But they also offer Mac-mini-sized PCs in their Slim, Nano and Fanless series. I run Linux on mine, but you can run Windows on them.
posted by intermod at 10:12 PM on April 24

Best answer: I'm in the market for a similar device and probably going to get a mini PC, probably some variety of Beelink mini PC. Liliputing and r/MiniPCs have been helpful (if a little intense).

Intel has stopped making NUCs but sold the license to Asus. The first Asus NUCs are available for pre-order now.
posted by yeahlikethat at 6:24 AM on April 25

Response by poster: While I had to buy a new laptop for work suddenly last night (Lenovo yoga 7 thanks to the other thread recommendations), I am absolutely thrilled by the beelink which is easy to get here and the meerkat. I purposefully got a very light laptop on the plan that I will get a little box soon to be a linux home server - exactly what I’d hoped to find.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 10:54 PM on April 29